Intrada Soundtrack Forum

5/1/08

Jeff tells me there are just 10 copies left of each of the two earlier National Geographic CDs (Special Collection Volumes 12 & 20.) If you're still thinking about one but can't take the plunge for both, I'd be hard-pressed to give you intelligent advice. Leonard Rosenman just recently passed away plus there's such a criminally small amount of music by Ernest Gold available to own - but a CD that couples Elmer Bernstein with Jerome Moross seems like a shoe-in as well. Sadly, none of the composers are with us anymore - which makes both of these seem all the more precious.

5/2/08

I finally get to clear up some confusion. It was of my own doing, too. I mentioned several weeks ago about working on something with the composer that featured a massive brass section. I intended to share my enthusiasm but I just left people wondering if each upcoming release was the one in question.

Well, golly. This coming Tuesday (May 6), the confusion will end and that big brass section can be yours to play at will. Crank it up!

We've got a second release out on Tuesday as well. Not as much brass, perhaps, but an intense score just the same. Titles and sound samples for both will be up Monday evening at 5:15 pm.

5/9/08

You're probably pretty familiar with UNDER FIRE by this point. Even people who don't follow Jerry Goldsmith usually know this one. Acclaim it's gotten.

But if you're one of those who haven't yet seen the movie or heard the album, it's readily available finally on a domestic CD label: Film Score Monthly.

If you notice nothing else about this album, notice the blend of not one but two incredibly distinct "ethnic" colors. Goldsmith gives both equal time, too: Pat Metheny's guitar on one side, an array of evocative pan flutes (made famous by international artist Gheorghe Zamfir) on the other.

This is certainly one of the great film scores.

5/16/08

Two more new Intrada releases come your way this Tuesday. We'll post contents and sound samples on the site Monday evening and hopefully you'll find something of interest.

If you can afford it, consider adding CHATO'S LAND to your budget as well, if you haven't already picked it up. It's top-drawer Fielding and - in fact - we've only got a drawer-full of copies left. What Chato's Land doesn't kill... Chato will!

5/24/08

Nostalgia. I'm reading comments on our Forum and over at FSM about "the clues" and I'm for some reason sent back in time.

I'm remembering what it was like when I was collecting soundtracks while still in high school. When I was "clueless".

There was no internet, I had no fellow junkies to speculate with. I'd get out of school, finish my homework, walk over to the Base Exchange and see what soundtracks were new. That was pretty much it.

Wow! A new John Barry album - "THE LAST VALLEY". Swords and battles on the cover. It looks cool! There goes my allowance for the week.

The only way I knew ahead of time what was coming up was when I'd check a newspaper and see ads for movies opening later in the week.

"Starts This Friday: THE WIND AND THE LION." Swords and battles again. I'd skim the credits and see who wrote the music. Wow! Jerry Goldsmith! Then - excitedly - I'd check at the bottom of the ad to see if a soundtrack album was forthcoming. Yep. "Soundtrack Available on Arista Records and Tapes" or whatever. And I'd be off to the BX every afternoon until they had it in stock.

Life was just too cool. And I don't mean that flippantly. What a great way to discover stuff!

Fast forward to today: heated message board discussions arguing about "the clues". Keep them, swear by them, lose them, ban them forever. And I'm thinking that everyone has gotten so spoiled now, or maybe not spoiled but... I don't know, jaded... something.

Once upon a time it was just pure discovery. A flip through the newspaper, a trip to the record store. What treasures would there be this time? Today, it's a plethora of media programs, youtubes, movie fan sites, soundtrack sites, on-line CD shops, early soundtrack reviews, score samples for download, composer interviews, discussion forums, clues, speculations and whatever. Everything you want to know about who's scoring SPIDERMAN VII including which Danny Elfman cues have been replaced by Christopher Young, which cues by Christopher Young have been replaced by Scott Glasgow, what scoring stage the Glasgow sessions are being held at, you name it. Okay, some exaggeration maybe, but not entirely.

We're even getting arguments about "the clues". Not enough of them, too many of them. It's almost insanity. Not quite, but almost.

Anyway, I kind of liked it better when I could just walk into a store and flip through a bin and see the artwork to THE SWARM before I knew who'd written the music and... well, you know. Discover. It somehow added to my overall experience.

Nostalgia.

5/27/08

A Jerry Goldsmith footnote.

Bob Florence died on May 15 of pneumonia at the age of 75. His relationship to Goldsmith was nominal, but still of interest to fans.

I met Bob Florence at a trumpet symposium in the late seventies. He'd been a respected arranger for Liberty Records for years and worked with Si Zentner, amongst other notable jazz artists. Hardcore Goldsmith fans can probably now see where the two musicians cross paths.

When my conversation with Bob turned to Hollywood music, he mentioned doing the actual arrangements for Goldsmith on a picture called WARNING SHOT. Yep, the same one featuring Zi Zentner's big band on Liberty Records. We talked about the score, the re-recorded LP, his thoughts about Goldsmith, movie music in general, so on. He said one of his best jobs was arranging WARNING SHOT since the music was so fresh. He really praised Goldsmith's versatility.

Anyway, it's just a tidbit for movie music fans. I like to think the two veterans are now sharing memories together up in that big band in the sky.

5/30/08

It's sad to hear about Alexander Courage just passing away. So close to Bob Florence's passing, I can't help but think about two veterans, both once arrangers for Jerry Goldsmith, both now heading upstairs to join that ever-growing orchestra in the skies. And with Earle Hagen having just entered that same group as well, I'm also thinking about how many titans have passed away lately - and - how few of today's composers will likely even earn the moniker "titan" when the time comes.